OR LACHLAN.

Two or three natives made their appearance at some distance from the
party, but would not approach it until after we had halted. They then
came to the tents, seven in number, and it was evident from their
manner, that their chief or only object was to pilfer anything they
could. We did not, therefore, treat them with much ceremony. They were
an ill-featured race, and it was only by strict watching during the
night that they were prevented from committing theft. Probably from
seeing that we were aware of their intentions, they left us early, and
pointing somewhat to the eastward of north, said they were going to the
Colare, and on being asked how far it was, they signified that they
should sleep there. I had on a former occasion recollected the term
having been made use of by a black, on the Macquarie, when speaking to
me of the Lachlan, and had questioned one of the young men who was with
us at the time, and who seemed more intelligent than his companions,
respecting it. Immediately catching at the word, he had pointed to the
N.N.W., and, making a sweep with his arms raised towards the sky had
intimated, evidently, that a large sheet of water existed in that
direction, in the same manner that another black had done on a former
occasion: on being further questioned, he stated that this communicated
with the Morumbidgee more to the westward, and on my expressing a
desire to go to it, he said we could not do so under four days. We had,
it appeared, by the account of the seven natives, approached within one
day's journey of it, and, as I thought it would be advisable to gain a
little knowledge of the country to the north, I suggested to M'Leay to
ride in that direction, while the party should be at rest, with some
good feed for the cattle that fortune had pointed out to us.

EXCURSION TOWARDS THE LACHLAN.

Our horses literally sank up to their knees on parts of the great plain
over which we had in the first instance to pass, and we rode from three
to four miles before we caught sight of a distant wood at its northern
extremity; the view from the river having been for the last two or
three days, as boundless as the ocean. As we approached the wood, two
columns of smoke rose from it, considerably apart, evidently the fires
of natives near water. We made for the central space between them,
having a dead acacia scrub upon our right. On entering the wood, we
found that it contained for the most part, flooded-gum,